I Just Want Them Gone

Bright red "desirable" lady bug.

Where have all the ladybugs gone? When I was a child, ladybugs were a welcome sight. They were harmless, cheerful little critters. I'd pick them up, let them crawl on my hands and arms, eventually giving them a gentle flick into the grass. Times have changed. Don't be fooled that those orange beetles you see now-a-days are the same, charming ladybugs. You are most likely seeing an Asian Beetle Bug - in my house AKA a Stink Bug.

Orange Asian Beetle - AKA stink bug.

These unwelcome visitors infested the front of our south facing home last September. They were drawn to the bright and warm exterior.  We were unable to enjoy our porch most of the remaining warm fall days due to these pesky bugs. They were everywhere, sunning themselves on the siding and patio furniture. The majority were flying about. They are clumsy flyers and don't care where they land. Mistaking your skin for a leafy green plant they also bite. The bite is no worse then a pin prick and one's knee-jerk reaction is to slap them off your body. Thus threatened, they instinctively excrete an acrid, foul smelling yellow substance that can also leave a stain. 

A cluster - not our house, but you get the idea.     

Somehow, many of them managed to enter into the house last fall. This past November I noticed a cluster of them nestled in the upper corner of the living room ceiling (too high to reach). Soon I found them in most every room of the house. I spotted them crawling on the window sills or flying around the lights – hearing the "ting" of their shells hitting the fixtures. Eventually they'd drop somewhere (once in the butter dish) and soon perish - unless I got to them first.  That was then. Now, it is March and I am STILL dealing with them. I am well beyond the gross stage. They've pushed me very, very close to F-bomb status.

Unwelcome sight in my upstairs studio - ugh.

I have no problem killing bugs, especially non-native, invasive species. But there were so many. Using a tissue to capture each one seemed wasteful. Besides, I wasn't crazy about the ensuing stink and possible stain. I decided that sucking them up with a hand vacuum would be the most efficient method. Bad idea. The vacuum cleaner triggers the stinky defense mechanism. The odor distributes itself via the vacuums air exchange system, blowing the stench back in my face. Nice. Now it's personal. Time to get creative. This is where things take a turn.   
 
If you were to enter into our house today, you'd notice small pieces of blue painters’ tape stuck to the walls in some of the rooms. The hanging end would be folded into an unusual accordion shape. You'd be seeing my solution: With a piece of tape, I gently push on the bug (dead or alive) until it sticks, but not so hard to crush my nemesis. With fiendish delight I watch their legs wiggle uselessly. The cagier bugs play dead and lie motionless. Once secured, I fold the tape, seal the edges and stick the tape back up on the wall. It isn't pretty, but it works. Mission accomplished. 

Bring it on.

I started using the tape as a last resort, knowing it would be a clean and easy way to manage a temporary pest problem. I never imagined I would still be engaged in stink bug management in March. I am seeing fewer stink bugs as spring nears, but still discover enough to use the tape almost daily. Scientists and weather people provide multiple reasons why these pests are worse some years. I don't care about "why." I just want them gone. I want tape free walls.  

So where are the "real" ladybugs? Blame it on these very beetles: Non-native invasive Asian Beetle Bug, (Stink Bug). I'm not aware of definitive studies, but some web sites suggest the lady bugs population is declining (maybe even becoming endangered) due to the larger, more aggressive Asian Beetle Bug - and its voracious appetite, part of which includes our native and true "lady" bug.

Distinctive black "M" near the head distinguishes the Asian Beetle Bug.

No such marking on our charming native lady bug.